Predicting resolved dust attenuation from local galaxy properties using MaNGA

Accurate spatially resolved dust corrections are critical for interpreting the structure and evolution of star-forming galaxies (SFGs). We present an empirical model for predicting spatially resolved dust attenuation (A_V) in SFGs using integral field spectroscopy from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. Using a sample of 5 155 galaxies over 7.20 < M_∗ < 11.14 and 0.0002 < z < 0.1444, we derive A_V maps from the Balmer decrement across more than 1 898 954 star-forming spaxels. Using local star formation rate surface density (∑_SFR) as a predictor, the model achieves R² = 0.69 and RMSE = 0.22 mag, with residuals that are approximately Gaussian and centred near zero. It predicts A_V within a factor of ∼1.3 on kpc scales. We also demonstrate that the relation can be applied iteratively to recover dust–corrected ∑_SFR from uncorrected values, converging by the fourth iteration with minimal residual bias (−0.01 mag) and low RMSE (0.42 mag). The model accurately reproduces A_V maps across diverse morphologies and orientations, including edge-on systems. It also recovers the observed radial A_V profiles, capturing their dependence on stellar mass and relative star formation activity, with more massive and more strongly star-forming galaxies showing steeper gradients.